Business Studies Teachers' Job Performance and Learning Outcomes of Public Secondary School Students in Southwest, Nigeria

Students' learning outcomes in Business Studies have consistently remained low in Nigeria, with pass rates declining from 62.6% in 2019 to 47.9% in 2023, implying that something is technically wrong with the teaching of the subject. Despite curriculum reforms and instructional efforts, there has been no significant improvement in students' performance over the past five years. This persistent trend raises concern about the effectiveness of teachers' instructional practices and overall job performance. Consequently, this study examined the influence of Business Studies teachers' job performance on students' learning outcomes in public secondary schools in Southwest Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, with a population of 16,132 Business Studies teachers in public junior secondary schools. Using a multistage sampling technique, 900 teachers were selected as the sample. A researcher-developed and validated questionnaire tagged "Teachers' Job Performance Questionnaire" (TJPQ, r = 0.81) was used for data collection, while students' Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) from NECO results (2019-2023) was used to measure learning outcomes. Regression analysis was used to answer research questions and test the hypothesis. Findings revealed a significant composite influence of the explanatory variables (subject mastery, commitment, and pedagogical skills) on the dependent variable (learning outcomes), F(3, 858) = 229.750, p < .05. All three explanatory variables were individually significant in determining learning outcomes: subject mastery (β = .456, t = 17.57, p < .05), pedagogical skills (β = .258, t = 10.47, p < .05), and commitment (β = .179, t = 6.92, p < .05). Subject mastery was found to be the most significant determinant of learning outcomes. It was concluded that teachers' job performance promotes positive learning outcomes. It was recommended that Business Studies teachers with mastery of the subject and well-groomed in teaching pedagogy should be allowed to teach Business Studies in schools, and that teachers should continuously equip themselves pedagogically through in-service training to enhance their job performance and students' learning outcomes.